Daily servings of encouragement those w/ illness or pain, a program of Rest Ministries

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Dealing With Anger And Wrath In Illness

Moments of anger will happen, especially when we are ill. Karlton explains, however, why it is vital we surrender it to God before it destroys us.

“Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil” (Psalm 37:8).

For awhile now God has been dealing with me and my constant anger. When my illness was taking me close to death I was literally too sick and weak to be angry, but as I recovered from that near-death period of my life, my anger and my wrath came back with intensity.

Anger is not a Christian virtue. Yes, sometimes we must pick our fights and stand our ground, but living with constant anger and wrath clouds the judgment, and can cause serious mistakes and sin. We should give place to anger, and put it where it belongs–in God’s hands.

Mental and emotional liabilities are part of living with affliction. I know that my illness affects my emotions, and I try to keep that in mind when I feel myself getting into a rage or generally upset about things. We don’t always see clearly because of our illnesses.

Nowhere in the Bible does it tell me to share everything I am feeling all the time. If we accept that some of our emotions are arising directly from our illness, it would be a grave mistake to let all those feelings loose on everyone around us, especially regarding anger.

There is one very safe place to take all of our feelings, and that is to the Lord. We can ask Him to help us sort through our feelings, to discover what is legitimate and what is not. Ask Him to clear our vision about the offenses we merely perceive or those we actually receive, and then deal with them in His grace, and in many cases, simply give those feelings and outcomes over to Him.

Maybe your illness has left you with feelings of anger and wrath. I would encourage you to acknowledge that you are angry and upset, and then take it to the Lord and let Him sort it out.

Prayer: Dear Lord, calm our tempers and deliver us from wrath. Help us to sort out our feelings and to give our anger over to You. Amen.

About the Author:
Karlton Douglas lives in Ohio with his lovely wife. His goal this year is to become less and less angry.

Is wrath becoming a normal part of your life? do you find yourself always angry? Why not hand that anger over to the Lord?

Do you feel like you are living in a dark place? This song, “Set Me Free” is with Casting Crowns. To be honest, it is a bit of a dark song. It is not an all-is-happy-and-well-song. But let’s be honest. . . Sometimes this is where we are.

In the Psalms David had a lot of moments where his soul felt dark and heavy, he was angry and yet afraid. If you are going through a dark place, if you feel like anger has taken over a good portion of your life, I hope this song reminds you that others understand and that God is the only One who can set you free. He can. . . And He will . . . But we have to ask. Hugs. -Lisa